Pension Application of Walter Elgin S9548
Transcribed and annotated by C. Leon Harris
Virginia }
Loudoun County }
On this 14th day of November 1832 personally appeared in open Court before the Justices of the Court of Loudoun County, now sitting Walter Elgin, a resident of the State & County afores’d. aged seventy six years & seven months who being first duly sworn, according to Law, doth on his oath make the following declaration in order to obtain the benefits of the act of Congress passed June 7 1832. That he entered the service of the United States under the following named officers & served as herein stated.
I was born in St Marys [Saint Marys] County, State of Maryland as I have always understood, tho’ I have no record of my age, on the 12th of April 1756 being in my seventy seventh year since the 12th of April last. My father removed to Loudoun County when I was a Child of 3 or 4 years of age, He brought me with him, and I have continued to reside in Loudoun Cy. Va ever since.
When I was first called into service I resided in Loudoun Cy I volunteered in a Comp’y of militia under Capt. Samuel Cox I do not remember the year or the month – but I recollect it was warm weather, & on the occasion of the British coming up the Potomac [probably Generals Benedict Arnold and William Phillips in Apr 1781] — it was the time also when an Elegant House owned by Mr Brent a little below Mount Vernon was burnt by the Enemy — I was march’d to Alexandria & continued to do duty there for two months & perhaps more, but to the best of my recollection, it was fully two months. — Several Companies then went from Loudoun, Capt. Colemans, Lewis’s & Patterson’s & some others I do not remember — we were all under the command of a Major Lane.
About the last of July 1781 I again marched from Loudoun as the orderly Sergeant of my Brother Capt Gustavus Elgin’s Company. I was drafted in said company for Gloucester Va. — I march’d from Leesburg with said company thro’ Falmouth, Fredericksburg, Bowling Green, and the Country lying between the Rappahannock & York Rivers, direct to Gloucester. Thos. Moss of Loudoun was the Lieutenant – Col. George West commanded the Regiment to which my Brothers Company was attached. When Hainsford[?] of Loudoun was Ajutant of s’d. Regiment. At Gloucester our Regiment was attach’d to the French Troops but I cannot recollect the names of any french officers. Our Company rec’d its orders thro’ Col. West. — I continued to do duty as commanded, and one night march’d with a body of troops to storm Gloucester — we lay on our arms all night — the place was found too strongly fortified to attempt it & the enterprize was abandoned. After the surrender of Lord Cornwallis [19 Oct 1781] I march’d with several other Companies to Nolands ferry in Loudoun Co’y to aid in guarding a body of prisoners, which we delivered at that place to some Maryland Troops & were discharged & returned home on the last of November 1781 – making 4 mos. service. — I offer the affidavits of my Brothers [Ignatius and Gustavus Elgin] to prove my services, which is the only Evidence I have — I do not recollect that I ever had a written discharge – if I had one it is long since lost. — I hereby relinquish every claim to a pension or annuity except the present, and declare that my name is not on the pension roll of the agency of any State. [signed] Walter Elgin